Local, county and state incentives are being used to lure an Amazon warehouse.

THE STAKES:

Taxpayers' funds should help improve their communities, not fatten corporate profits.

Without knowing who was behind the planned warehouse project in the town of Schodack, local, county and state officials were ready to fork over millions in incentives to lure the new business.

The message is loud and clear to all developers: When it comes to New York, there's no need to pay the entire cost of locating or expanding here. The taxpayers have you covered.

Incentives can include reduced-interest loans, reduced or waived property taxes or even outright grants. New infrastructure like roadways and water mains are sometimes in play too. These giveaways seem abundant no matter how desirable or strategic a location may be to a company.

In this case, the giant online retailer Amazon wants to expand its distribution capability in New York and New England.

Yes, an Amazon facility in Schodack would generate up to 800 full-time jobs, but most would be at or near minimum wage. Workers would do 12-hour shifts in a facility where temperatures can hit 90 degrees, according to company advertisements.

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In a county with a low unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, some residents, backed by a report by the Economic Policy Institute, rightly question whether this will mean any economic transformation for the community.

The warehouse and distribution center would also mean increased traffic, affecting air quality and adding noise, and use town resources. The town should heed neighbors' call for an in-depth environmental impact assessment, and should take no action until that's done.

And the town needs to weigh the need for any sweeteners. Many squawked — rightly so — when Pyramid Management Group requested millions of dollars in property tax exemptions last year from the Guilderland Industrial Development Agency to build a 192-room hotel at Crossgates Mall. The IDA provided only a fraction of the incentives. The project went forward anyway.

In Colonie, the Galesi Group is asking for $12 million in tax breaks to help fund a new headquarters for Ayco, a financial services company owned by Goldman Sachs. The target site, a sprawling Latham hilltop where the former Colonie Coliseum once stood, is arguably one of the most desirable commercial real estate locations in the region.

But don't blame developers or companies for coming with their hands out. Sadly, it has become the default when any project is proposed.

Town of Schodack officials would probably still be in the dark about the mystery tenant if not for reporting by the Times Union's Larry Rulison. Perhaps the Indiana developer proposing the facility kept the tenant a secret because they feared a backlash if people knew the tax break would benefit Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who according to Forbes is the richest man in the world.

Not all incentives are bad. In certain situations, they have been successful in countering high unemployment or rejuvenating communities. But there's a difference between smartly targeted economic development and corporate welfare — something neither a Mr. Bezos nor an Amazon needs.